Beacon



May 28, 1935.

H. H. THOMPSON I 2,003,022

Filed Nov. 23, 1928 INVENTOR Henry/i Thompson.

- A'TTORNEY Patented May 28, 1935 nnaoon a d v 11. Thompson, Wflkinsburg, 2a., assigncr to Westinghouse Electric & ManufacturingCompany, a corporation of lfennsyl'vania 4 ationNovember 23,1928, Serialss an My invention relates:tolightinpdevices and has particularrelationto a beacon suitable for use in connection with airnavigation..': I An object of my inventionis toprovide a de- 5 ,vicewhich shall indicate the presence of a landing field,,an airway, anobstacle orthe like,'or which maybe utilized as-"an advertisingdevice. 1. Another'object of my inventionyis .to provide a device of theabove mentioned-character having means for identifying'aparticularbeacon.

Another object of my. invention is to provide a beacon which shallindicate the direction of an airway or of any desirecLpoint of, thecompass." A still further objectofmy invention is to provide a deviceof, the above mentionedcharacter which shall be strong, dependable,simple and relatively inexpensive. r

Referring to the drawing, in which. like figures indicate like parts; 3Figure 1 is a front view, partially in section and partially inelevation, of a device'constructed according to. my invention;

. .Fig. 2 is a side view, insection, taken .along theline 11-11 of Fi 1,

is provided with additional geared "driving means.

for osclllating the projector about its horizontal axis during theperiod inflwhich the projector is not being rotated. I a i Thedevicecomprises a hollowbasel upon which a frame 2 is so mountedthatzit-may be jector 3 is mounted on the'frame 2, by. means of a yoke4. Ashaft ,5, ,engagingone side of the projector, is rotatably mountedinthe yoke 45 4 and has a pinion 6 on its outer end. The other provide aconduit for the conductors'l which furnish power to the lighting'unittherein (not shown). J r m V The wires 8- extend through the tube to thestationary brushes II which make electrical contact with suitable sliprings [2 whlchareih'tum,

electrically connected to the lighting unit, The

55 projector, thereforeismounted formovement Fig; 3 is a'view, inperspective, of an idler gear rotatively movedabout a vertical axis. Aprosupport 1 for the projector isstationary with reference to the yokeand is tubular inorderto mam-3e): x

of rotation about a horizontal axis provided by shaft S-andthe tube xThedevice'fisoperated by'a motor l 3 which drives a vertical shaft It bymeans of wormfli and worm wheel It; The; lower end of the shaft 5 I4 isprovided with a gear wheel I1 which meshes with an idler gear wheel1I8.- The idler ,gear wheel 18 vis provided was cani s'urface H, the

purpose of which will be later explained;

a The upper end oi'the shaft I4 is provided H a bevel gear wheel H tomesh-withabevell'gear 1 wheel 23 with which a horizontal shaft" isprovided. The outer end-of-the horizontalshaft 22 is provided with acrank arm 24 which actuates a link'25 andgear rack 26 which, in engagesthe pinion 6 of the projectorshaft 5. I Ajacent to the bevelgear 23 is adisc 23 a recess 21in its periphery (Fig.1) Theshaft 22 may be preventedfrom rotatingbyI means of a stop piece 28 which is mounted on a push rod30. The lowere'nd of the pushrod 30-is'pro-J vided ,with'a roller'3vl.Another push rod 32 projects into 'the'base 'l and is'provided with aroller 33 to engagethe cam surface IQ of gear wheel l3. The upper endofthe lower. push rod 32 is provided with a cam 35 having a cam surface'fl'of'invert'ed vform; A projection" on the bottom of the frame 21sadapted to'strike the cam 35 when the cam is raised;

- In operation, when the motor 13 isenergized, the shaft I4 is rotatedslowlyQusually at the'rate of about six revolutions perminu'te'. .If thestop piece 28 is in engagement with recess 21 in the disc 23, the frameand the'projector. will be rotatively moved by'the actioniof the gearwheel '35 2| upon the stationary gear wheel23.j When the idler gear 18has been rotated to a point where. the push rod'32 is raised,'the camsurface will be struck-by the projection 31 and the frame A will thus bestopped. At thesame time, the push 40 rod 30 is raised and the lug 28disengaged from the-recess 21." Inthisposition, the frame is pre--;

23 and shaft 22'are caused to rotate.

vented from rotating, and the bevel gears 2i. and a The rotation'of.the.shaft22 will give an oscil-I 5 engagesthe recess 21 .of discv29, thus causing the journalled in the base and frame coincident withthe vertical axis of rotation of the frame,

' means for driving the main shaft, means including an auxiliary shaftjoumalled in the frame for oscillating the projector about itshorizontal axis, means interposed between the main shaft and theprojector whereby the auxiliary shaft is oscillated about its horizontalaxis when the frame is prevented from rotating and the frame is rotatedwhen the auxiliary shaft is locked against rotation, releasable meanscarried by the rotatable frame for locking the auxiliary shaft againstrotation, means carried by the base operable to lock the frame againstrotation and disposed when operated to release the locking means for theauxiliary shaft when the frame is in a predetermined position, and meansdriven from the main shaft for actuating the locking means for the frameto provide for alternately rotating and oscillating the projector.

'7. In a beacon comprising a projector, rotatably mounted supportingmeans for the projector, means for mounting the projector on thesupporting means for movement about a horizontal axis, a main driveshaft mounted on the axis of rotation of the supporting means, drivingmeans for the main shaft, an auxiliary shaft journalled on thesupporting means, means actuated by the auxiliary shaft for oscillatingthe projector about its horizontal axis, power transmitting means,connecting said shafts whereby the supporting means is rotated by themain shaft when the auxiliary shaft is locked against rotation and theprojector oscillated when the supporting means is locked againstrotation, locking means carried by the supporting means normallydisposed to lock the auxiliary shaft and operable to release said shaft,additional locking means mounted stationary with respect to thesupporting means operable to lock said means against rotation and torelease the looking means on the auxiliary shaft, and cam means operatedby the driving means for actuating the stationarily mounted lockingmeans to effect alternate rotation and oscillation of the projector inaccordance with a predetermined cycle of operation.

8. A beacon comprising in combination, a base, a supporting frame, meansfor mounting the frame on the base for rotation about a vertical axis, aprojector, means for mounting the projector on the frame for movementabout a horizontal axis, av motor, means including a shaft rotatablymounted in the frame and having driving connection with the motor foreffecting a predetermined movement of the projector about its horizontalaxis when the said frame is locked against rotation, said means beingdisposed to effect rotation of the frame and projector about thevertical axis when the shaft in the frame is locked against rotation andthe frame released, and means actuated by the motor disposed toalternately lock and unlock the shaft and simultaneously alternatelyunlock and lock the frame.

9. A beacon comprising in combination, a base,

disposed to effect the rotation of the frame and projector about thevertical axis when the said element is locked against rotation, meansnormally disposed in one position to lock the element of the gear trainagainst rotation and to release the frame, and operable to anotherposition to release said element and lock the frame, and cam meansactuated by the motor for alternately operating the locking means to itstwo positions in a predetermined manner.

10. In combination, a projector, means for mounting the projector forrotation about a vertical axis andfor movement about a horizontal axis,means operable to rotate and oscillate the projector comprising a maindrive shaft mounted coincident with the vertical axis, an auxiliaryshaft supported by the projector mounting means and geared to the'mainshaft and to the projector the relative positions of the said shaftsbeing such that the projector is oscillated when the mount ing means islocked against rotation, and the mounting means and projector arerotated when the auxiliary shaft is locked against rotation, a motor fordriving the main shaft, and means actuated by themotor for alternatelylocking and releasing the auxiliary shaft and projector mounting means,in accordance with a predetermined cycle to effect alternate rotationand oscillation of the projector over predetermined periOds of timeduring the cycle.

11. A beacon comprising a base, a supporting frame mounted on the basefor rotation about a vertical axis, aprojector supported by thesupporting frame for movement about a horizontal axis, driving meansmounted in the base, power transmitting means interposed between theprojector and the driving means having one element thereof mounted onthe supporting frame and adapted to effect a predetermined movement ofthe projector about its horizontal axis of support when the supportingframe is held stationary and to rotate the supporting frame when saidelement is held stationary,locking means disposed relative to thesupporting frame and the said element operative to alternately lock saidframe and said element against rotation, and r means. actuated by thedriving means-disposed to operate the locking means in a predeterminedmanner to effect the alternate rotation of the

